The instant invention relates to fastener attaching machines of the type utilized for assembling fastener component halves in the attachment of fastener components to fabrics and the like.
Snap fasteners are widely used in a variety of industries, including the garment industry, for detachably interconnecting various elements, such as fabrics and the like. The most common types of snap fasteners comprise detachably interfitting individual male and female components which comprise pairs of permanently assembled component halves.
Automatic attaching machines are currently used in most commercial applications for assembling component halves of the above described type while attaching same to fabrics and the like. In this regard, the attaching machine marketed by Rau Fastener Company, Division of U.S. Industries, Inc. as Automatic Attaching Machine Model 6N, is exemplary of one type of attaching machine which is in wide use. Machines of this general type are operable to assemble component halves into permanently interfitted relation on opposite surfaces of pieces of fabric and the like and include upper and lower fastener tools which cooperatively engage the halves to effect the assembly thereof through reciprocating movement of the upper tool toward and away from the lower tool. Machines of this type also include upper and lower feed assemblies which feed upper and lower component halves to the upper and lower tools, respectively, and a guide plate for supporting pieces of fabric or the like adjacent to the lower tool. Conventional machines of this type also include upper jaws which continuously receive the upper component halves from the upper feed assembly and reciprocate with the upper tool to continuously position the upper component halves in desired aligned relation on the fabric for the assembly of the upper halves with lower halves as the upper tool is advanced to its lowermost position.
When operating a machine of the above described type, it is generally necessary for operators to hold pieces of fabric or other material on the guide plates of the machines in order to assure that the fastener component halves are assembled at the desired positions. Further, in order to assure that the halves are assembled in precisely the desired locations, it is frequently necessary for operators to move their fingers into close proximity with the respective upper and lower tools of the machines, making the operation of such machines potentially quite hazardous. These hazards are further compounded by the fact that machines of this type are operable to assemble as many as three fastener components per second and therefore the upper tool and jaw assemblies thereof necessarily move quite rapidly in their reciprocating movement. Conventional fastener attaching machines have included a variety of types of shields in order to reduce these safety hazards, but most of the known shield arrangements have either been ineffective from a safety standpoint or have restricted access to the tools to the point that they have made it impossible for operators to precisely position pieces of fabric in desired orientation to receive the component halves.
The instant invention provides a novel construction for an upper jaw and tool assembly for a fastener component attaching machine which overcomes the above described disadvantages. More specifically, the subject invention provides an upper jaw and tool assembly which receives and positions upper fastener component halves in proper orientation, but which operates without external reciprocating components and hence is substantially less hazardous than the jaw assemblies of the prior art machines. In this connection, the jaw and tool assembly of the instant invention comprises a stationary housing having a longitudinal passage therethrough, a feed opening in the rear side thereof, and an upper tool which is adapted to travel in the passage. The housing is dimensioned so that when the assembly is mounted on an attaching machine, the lower end of the housing is spaced slightly above the lower tool and the guide plate so that there is sufficient clearance (approximately 1/4 inch in most instances) to receive a fabric therebetween, but so that there is insufficient room for an operator's fingers to be inadvertently positioned therebetween. The assembly further comprises a pair of inwardly biased jaw members which are pivotally mounted on opposite sides of the housing and retaining means on the upper tool for temporarily receiving and retaining successive upper component halves thereon. In operation, the upper component halves are continuously fed through the feed opening and are received in the jaw members. Each time the upper tool travels downwardly in the passage, it receives an upper component half from the jaw members and advances the half downwardly while urging the ends of the jaw members outwardly. The upper tool finally passes out of the lower end of the passage carrying the upper component half with it and assembles the half with a lower component half supported by the lower tool. Because of the unique cooperation of the jaws and the upper tool within the housing, the upper component halves can be assembled with the lower halves without requiring a conventional reciprocating jaw assembly, and hence the safety problems associated with such reciprocating assemblies are effectively eliminated. In addition, the necessity of having an external safety shield is also eliminated so that an operator can position a fabric or the like in precisely the desired position adjacent the lower tool without encountering serious risks.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the instant invention to provide a jaw assembly for a fastener attaching machine which permits safe and accurate assembly of fastener component halves in the attachment thereof to fabrics and the like.
Another object of the instant invention is to provide a jaw assembly for a fastener component attaching machine which remains substantially stationary during the operation thereof.
A still further object of the instant invention is to eliminate the necessity for utilizing a safety shield around the jaws of a fastener component attaching machine.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.